1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved tool for the driving of fasteners. The tool is in the form of a socket wrench wherein the socket is either permanently attached to a shank, such as a screw or nut driver handle either permanently attached to a handle, such as a screw or nut driver, or in the form of a bit, the shank of which is received into a socket in a driving tool, either air or electrically powered.
2. General Background of the Invention
With the advent of sophisticated power tools and a surge in commercial and home construction, the need for a reliable driver for such as sheet metal screws has emerged. The demand for skilled installers of such as heating and air conditioning duct work has placed a premium on the time and thus the efficiency of the installer. One of the common problems in the installation of heating and air conditioning duct is that it is frequently in hard to reach areas of a building, and often with the installer having to assume awkward and unsteady positions to reach the site where a sheet metal screw is needed to connect duct sections or attach support straps. Even with driver sockets including magnets contained within the socket, screws are often lost, generally in the initial phase of setting the screw. Installation and repair often occurs at levels above other construction activity or at a location where lost fasteners may pose a threat of personal injury, or fall into operating machinery thereby causing damage. Accordingly, retention of the fastener in the socket during driving is of significant importance.
The prior art reveals a number of patents in the related area, but none address the particular problem discussed herein:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,718,806 to Clark illustrates a conventional magnetic driving tool for such as nuts, bolts and other threaded fasteners having multi-sided heads, such as the hex-headed sheet metal screw. Clark discloses the inclusion of a magnet within the socket to assist in holding the fastener in the socket during the driving step.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,007,504 also to Clark illustrates improvements to the '806 patent wherein the tool is adapted to provide interchangeability for all types and characters of bits or sockets.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,894 shows an alternative socket for driving a fastener adapted with multiple magnets for retaining both the fastener and also such as a washer to be placed when driving the screw fastener.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,801 to Andreasen shows apparatus for attaching a duct strap material to an overhead support by means of a screw-type fastener. The driver is coupled to a pole and driven by such as battery power to enable the installer to work overhead from the floor or other secure base yet reach distant overhead sites.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,711 to Mulgrave, et al, discloses a method of securing sheet material to a support by means of a screw threaded fastener having a driving head adapted to cooperate with a driving tool in a means similar to the present invention. The driving tool illustrated in the '711 patent is representative of the prior art on which the present invention improves.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,138,538; 6,269,716; and 6,715,384 illustrate other adaptations to fastener driving tools, for specific applications and fasteners.
In spite of the numerous styles of fastener drivers illustrated in the prior art, none offer the advantages of retention of the fastener within the socket as well as provided by the present invention.